Nick Moloney diary

In the first of his regular reports Offshore Challenge's new signing talks of life on the maxi cat Orange

The aim in this stuff is not to hit big speeds but the complete opposite...slow the bus. The simplicity of the situation is quite stressful. The faster we go, the higher the bows launch, the harder the crunch as we plow into the trough behind. If you do not preserve, your platform will destruct. The noise and the motion make the consequences evident and obvious.

It's really difficult to explain the situation - our two bows piercing through the crests of waves, the wind curling the spray like horizontal water spouts streaming our entire length, over the stern and into the dark. When the spray clears you see, in the moonlight, the bows in full flight right back to the daggerboards and still climbing. The wave passes under the cockpit initiating the descent....nose first we charge into another black pit.

The inertia is amazing, everybody airborne, on deck, in the galley, in bunks. Suddenly boom. The hulls are under right back to the main beam. A wall of white water deflects skyward off the front beam, huge balls of thick spray burst through the tramp. Very stressful but amazing images.

Throughout the situation Bruno shows his deep knowledge of these beasts. Bruno's the man, the master. A genuine sea lover and complete 'marin'. He's often found wandering the trampoline deep in thought, checking everything, making a list and taking notes. Almost always he pauses somewhere along his track to stare at the horizon with excited eyes and facial expressions of a proud and appreciative man.

He's the boss, simple and period. Not only because this is his project but because this is his world. Not yet has he come on deck in any conditions without passing advice or cracking that few inches of sheet that brings control and life back into this massive package.

Yeah sure...I'm the only non-French person onboard. But I am a part of an incredible group of sailors. I remember one of our early sails, stonking along in the high 20kts of boat speed, fully powered up, not understanding a word of the discussion around me.......I am on the helm.

on y va
Nick Moloney
Offshore Challenges Sailing Team